Control apparatus.



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ARTHUR-1T. HALL, 0F WILKINSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.` Paiented Dec, 11, 1917.

lApplication. led November 5, 1915. Serial No. 59,831.

' To all 'whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. HALL, .a subject of the King of England, and a r'esldent 'of Wilkinsburg, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in` vented Aa new andv useful Improvement in Control Apparatus, of which the following is a specication. j

My invention. relates to controllers for electric mot-orsA and particularly to apparatus of the master-controller'type that is adapted 'foruse in multiple-unit control systems of electric vehicles. l

One object of my invention is'to provide an auxiliary controller v for. a drum controller which shall be detachably mounted thereon and which shall govern the operation of the drum controller'and control all circuits passing therethrough.l

A further object of my invention is to rovide an auxiliary controller of the above lndicated character which shall automatically break all control circuits and eifect al1-- tomatic operation of the power-actuated brakes of the vehicle 1in case the operator of; the controller becomes incapacitated through illness or sudden death.. Another object of my invention is to provide means for allowing the breaking of control circuits on both the main and the reversing drums, but preventing the automatic setting of the vehicle brakes ywhen the main controller drum is normally returned to its off-position.

Alas

More specifically, my invention embodies an auxiliary controller which may be detachably mounted upon the usual drum controller and be provided with an auxiliary contact drum and an auxiliary shaft that are joined to the shaft of the main controller drum, and an extension shaft joined to the shaft of the reversing drum. The auxiliary drum is initially` joined to the auxiliary shaft by ,a spring under tension but may be lrigidly joined thereto by a spring-operated clutch in order that the auxiliary drum and the auxiliary shaft may be moved together when the clutch is operated by pressure applied to the controller handle as the same is rotated, and in Aorder that the auxiliary drum Imay be returned to an initial position separate from the auxiliary shaft in caSethe` controller handle is released when 1n any operated position. A

fluid-pressure' mechanism, which is con' v trolled by thev auxiliary ldrum and the auxiliary shaft, is rotatably mounted upon the extension shaftof the reversing drum.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 isa diagram'- fmatic sectional view of a drum'controller vprovlded vwith an auxiliary controller constructed in accordance with'my invention;

Fig, 2 is a` sectional view taken along the line A-A of Fig. 1, and Fig.'3 is adetail view of the auxiliary contact drum shown in Figa/1.,

Referring to the drawing, 'a' drum controller 1, embodying a main contact drum 2 and its shaft 3 and a reversing-eontact drum 4.- aud its shaft 5, isV provided with an auxiliary controller 6.

The auxiliarycontroller` 6 is provided with an auxiliary shaft 7 which "is rigidly joined to the main shaft 8 .and on which is rigidly mounted a support 8 for an auxiliary contact drum 9 and a base 10 for a controller handle 11. Furthermore, the auxiliary controller is provided with an extension shaft 12 which is rigidly joined to the reversing shaft 5 by a coupling 13, a fluid. controlling mechanism 14 Which is rotatably a reversing handle 16 of the customary type which is detachably joined to the shaft '12, and' a fluid valve 17.

The auxiliary drum 9 embodies a metal. cylinder 18 which'is mountedxupon the support 8 and is held in position by collar 19 .supported upon a collar 15 of the shaft 12, A.

are carried by a suitable finger-base 24a that is mounted upon the supporting frame 26. A concentric type coil spring 27, which is disposed betweenthe support 8 and a collar 28, has its outer end joined to a lug 29 projecting down from the collar 20 and has its inner end joined to the collar 8.

A clutch 30, `which rigidly joins 'the auxiliary drum 9 to the auxiliary shaft 7 when in operative position, comprises a plunger 31 movablyv mounted upon the `shaft 7 but caused to rotate therewith by a key 50, a helicalA coil spring 32 surrounding the shaft il' and mounted on the collar .i9 which supthe plunger 3l, and the cylinder l ting from the plunger 3l is a lug 33 ich is adapted to lit Within a poel' l" t 34.- in the cylinder 18. rl.. second projeo la on the plunger 3l is adapted. to cooperate with a pin 'for a pnrpose which will be explained. later. lrounted in.

ylind r i8. is a lug 3G which engi. vf arm 37 of the fluid .iitrolling mechanism le; when in the normal position and :for a purpose which will be described later.

The tluid-controlling mechanism. i4; einN bodies a body portion 3S -which is rotatably mounted upon the collar 1:5 of the shaft l2, an arm 39 with lugs l0 and L il which enga the pin and a valve stein of the valve Il?, respectively, and the arm '.3'2 which cooperates with the projection 39. yllhe valve 'li' embodies a body portion 43 which may be a portion of 'the supporting frame 26, ay valve stem ft2, a plug` il mounted on said valve stem and a spring l5 which normally -forces the plug 4A- to its seat 44a.

The rod 35 is mounted on lugs 25 and 46, and, by reason of pins i7 on the rod, it has a limited movement in ahorizontal direction.

The controller handle il is pivotcd on the base 10 at LS and has a projection 49 that engages a key which is mounted Within a slot 5l ol the auxiliary shaft 7. The movement of the controller handle in. an upward direction limited by a pin 52, Which is mounted on the iandle, and a latch 53 on the base l0. ylfhe hey 50., Which is operated `by the controller handle ll, has ,a projection. 5d which is disposed Within a pocket 51LL ot the, plunger 3l.

Assuming the controller parts to be in the position shown, the operation ol the apparatus may be as follows: pressure is applied upon the handle ll1 for causing the key to force the plunger 3l down upon the cylin-4 der 18, and then the controller handle is given. af slight mov nent to the left which will allov.v lthe lug o@ 'of the plunger 31 to into the pocket or slot Se oi 'the cylinder if?) to rigidly connect the auxiliary' shaft Z tothe auxiliary drum 9, and which tv ill cause the lug 34a to move the pin 35 and arm 39 so that the spring l5 may close the valve l?. With the parts in this position,

' any movement of the controller handle will cause a like movement oi the auxiliary drum 9 and themain drum 2.

However, should the controller handle be moved to any operative position, and the pressure thereon lie/removed, then the helical spring 32 acting on the plunger 31, will instantly raise the plunger 3l, pin 50 and controller handle .11.'

The raising ot' the plunger 31 will disconnect .the .auxiliary drum 9 from the auxiliary shaft 4" because of removing the projection from. the slot 34., and, when this happens, the concentric spring 27, which, as before stated, is initially under tension and has one end rigidly connected to the shait 2' and the other end ffgidly connected to the drinn 9, Will ini the drum. 9 to its initial posii .eturned to itsinitial u 'act .lingers 2lare oiscrm neet-ed from the Contact segments and thus break: the power circuits, in accordance with a familiar practice, and the projection 36 upon the cylinder i8 comes into contact with the arm 57 of the duid-controlling mechanism le, 'which cui arm 39 and lug al to operate the valve Stein Il?, to open the valve li' and thus operate the poWer-actw ated brakes of the vehicle.

To again operate`v the controller, pressure must be appli-ed to the controller handle after it has been returned to the illustrated oilposition and a slight movement to the left given before any forward movement ot the auxiliary drum 9, which controls the poiver circuits, is possible. However, when the auxiliary drum 9 is connected to the auxiliary shaft f7, the return of the cont-roller handle to the oil-position vwill break the power circuits by reason of the controller fingers 2l separating from the contact segments 23, but no operation oit the valv 1T or setting oitl the power-actuated brali is possible, as the lug 3l on the plunger 3l engages the pin which limits the movement of the controller handle before the lugv 36 can engage the arm 3i' to open the luid valve i7. l

Obiously, my invention is not restricted to the specific structural details and arrangement and location of parts herein set iol-th., as manyv niodiiications therein may be ellected without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and such' modifications are intended. to he covered by the appendec claims.

l ,claim as my invention:

l. ln a removably mounted attachment or a contmllcr, the combination of' an auxiliary shaft, an auxiliary contact drum, a controller handle mounted on said auxiliary shaft, clutch tor joining said au--liary shaft and said auxiliary drum, a spring for holding said clutch and said controllerA handle in a raised yinoperative position, means for compressing said. spring and lor operating said clutch when pressure is applied to said controller handle, a second spring initially under tei.

`one end joined to said auxiliary snuitano tioned spring serves to return said auxiliary drum to its initial position.

' 2.' In a removably mounted attachment for a controller having a main contact drum and shaft and a reversing drum and shaft, the combination of an auxiliary shaft joined to the shaft of said main drum, an auxiliary Contact drum and a controller handle' mounted upon said auxiliary shaft, an extension shaft joined to the shaft of said reversing drum, a iiuid valve, means mounted upon said extension shaft and controlled by said auxiliary drum and said auxiliary shaft for governing the operation of said iuid valve,

a clutch for joining said auxiliary shaft and said auxiliary drum, a spring for holding said clutch and said controller handle in a l raised inoperative position, means for compressing said spring and for operating said clutch when pressure is applied to said controller handle, a second spring initially under tension and having one end joined` to said auxiliary shaft and the other endl joined to said-auxiliary drum, whereby the first-mentioned spring will'raise said clutch to break the connection between said auxiliary shaft and said auxiliary drum and the second-mentioned spring will return said auxiliary drum toits initial position in case the controller handle is released when in an operative position.

3. In a master controller, the combination with a main contact drum, a shaft for said main contact drum, an auxiliary contact drum and a controller handle mounted on said `main shaft, a reversing shaft, and a reversing contact drumi and a fluid-control mechanism mounted on said reversing shaft,

of a clutch for joining said auxiliary contact drum to said main shaft, a spring for holding said clutch and said controller handle in raised inoperative positions, means forcompressing said spring and-operating said clutch when pressure is applied to said controller handle, a second spring initially under tension and having one end joined to said main shaft and the other end joined to said auxiliary contact drum, whereby the first-mentioned spring will raise said clutch to break the connection between said main shaft and said auxiliary drum and the second-mentioned spring will return said auxiliaryv drum to its initial position and operate said fluid-control mechanism in case the controller handle is released when in an.

operative position. I

4. In control apparatus, the combination with a shaft and a handle secured thereto, of'

'means' dependent upon the application o downward pressure to said handle for operatively mechanically connecting said shaft and said clutch `member and effectingl engagement of said member with saiddrum, and means acting between said shaft and said drum for returning the drum to its initial position after said biasing means has effected disengagement of said clutch member and said drum upon the release of said downward pressure.

5. In control apparatus, the combination with a shaft and a handle secured thereto, of an inverted cup-shaped, clutch member loosely mounted'on said shaft, a contactcarrying drum normally loosely inclosing said clutch member, a helical spring surrounding said shaft within said cup-shaped clutch member forbiasing said member and said handle to a raised inoperative position, and a sliding key actuated by the application of downward pressure to said handle for operativelyconnecting said shaft and A said clutch'member and effecting lengagement of said member with said drum.

6. In control apparatus, the combination with a shaft and a ha'ndle'secured thereto, of an inverted cup-shaped clutch member loosely mounted on saidy shaft, a contactcarrying drum normally loosely inclosing said clutch member, a helical sprin surrounding said shaft within said cupaped clutch member for biasing said member and said handle to a raised inoperative position, and a second spring having its respective ends joined to said-shaft and said drum for returning the drum to its initial position after said biasing spring has eected disengagement of said clutch member and said drum upon the release of said downward pressure. v

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name thisV 29th day of Octi', 1915. 

